RP team aspirants all fired up

Short in time but not in talent, new Philippine team head coach Junel Baculi yesterday said he will announce the final composition of the national squad to the Southeast Asian Basketball Association Championship next week.

Right after their first practice at the Philsports Arena, Baculi said it’s still too early to come up with the final roster since he would also have to consult with his assistant coaches Leo Austria and Leo Isaac.

"Hindi pa namin mapapa-finalize ang line-up for now since we are yet in the organizational stage. Siguro in a week’s time, I still have to consult with both Leo Austria and Leo Isaac," said Baculi.

But he commended the sacrifices his players have been making since they were tapped the other day to carry the cudgels for the country in the April 2-9 event. Except for Yancy de Ocampo, all of the 18 players tapped for the pool appeared in the early morning workout and buckled down to work.

"Kahapon pa lang during the first day of practice, Yancy was already complaining of a bum stomach. Tumawag naman siya na he can’t make it in today’s practice," Baculi said.

"Pero bilib talaga ako sa mga players at talagang nag-sacrifice silang gumising ng maaga. May ibang na-late nang konti. Obviously hindi pa sanay sa ganoong oras but you can feel their commitment," said Baculi.

Unlike in their first session Wednesday, Baculi and his wards yesterday worked on their offensive and defensive drills and patterns.

"Trabaho kaagad kami kahapon. Aside from physical conditioning, we work on offensive and defensive schemes na magagamit naming for the tournament," added Baculi.

"Sa Day 3, we will focus more on defining their roles. Kailangang medyo fast-track ang preparation just in time for the SEABA championship. Jelling will be the main concern with just a few days to go, but I am confident we could come up with a very competitive team," he added.

PBL commissioner Chino Trinidad dropped by at the Philsports Arena and was surprised to see Ateneo slotman Enrico Villanueva in good shape while playing with so much intensity during practice.